16
September 1997 : from 1 January 1998, when fixed telephony will
be open to competition, each subscriber will be able to choose to
make long distance calls (calls beyond the local call zone) through
another long distance telecommunications operator other than the one
chosen by the local operator (today this is France Telecom). At this
time, and for the first phase, three long distance operators were
retained by the
Authority for the Regulation of Telecommunications (ART) based
on aptitude to deploy and operate a national network.
To select
another operator, a subscriber must, for each call, replace the
zero, first digit of all fixed telephone numbers, mobiles and faxes,
by 9 to have the call made by Netco (Bouygues group), 7 to make the
call through Télécom Développement (Cégétel
group), and 8 to make the call through France Telecom. The choice of
the identifier digit was made by each operator after the Authority
for the Regulation of Telecommunications (ART) drew lots. N.B :
phone numbers do not change, callers only change the first digit of
the number they are calling.
For more information, see
the law on telecommunications regulations.
ART, fax : 33
1 43 19 65 34
8 September 1997: at a press conference on the France
Telecom share offer, D. Strauss-Kahn and C. Pierret announced their
intention to enlarge the field of the universal service so as to
"take into consideration the necessary priority of facilitating
access to the Internet". They also stated that
clarification of responsibilities in the area of telecommunications
regulations was necessary. It is possible that some adaptations
could be made to the law on regulations.
8 July 1997: the
Authority for
the Regulation of Telecommunications (ART) announced that it
estimates the cost of the universal service at 4.8 billion French
francs for the year 1997. The universal service is provided by
France Telecom. This cost will be shared by all telecommunications
operators, including France Telecom, based on traffic levels.
1 June 1997 : the
decree relative to rights of passage on the public highway or
property appeared in the Official Journal (decree N°97-683
of 30 May 1997).
This decree has been keenly awaited by
regional authorities. It sets down ceilings for the annual fee paid
by telecommunications operators to the managers and agents of
terrain used depending on the different cases (underground
installations, under motorways, in mountainous areas or not, under
national or county roads, radio installations…). These
provisions come into effect 15 July 1997.
24 May 1997:
the decree
relative to the fee due to organisations who allocate radio
frequencies appeared in the Official Journal (decree n°
97- 520 of 22 May 1997)
14 May 1997 :
the
decree on financing the universal service appeared in the
Official Journal (decree n°97 475 of 13 May 1997). This decree
sets out the calculation methods for the cost of the universal
service and the means for financing these obligations by all
telecommunications operators. The total surcharge due to these
obligations is evaluated at approximately 5 or 6 billion French
francs. It will be divided, on a prorata basis of their effective
traffic, by all telecommunications operators in the French market
(and, therefore, in the first instance, by France
Telecom). Press statement.
14
May 1997: François d'Aubert, Secretary of State for
Research, and François Fillon, presented the reorganisation
of research in the telecommunications domain, made necessary by the
new regulatory framework of the sector. As a measure of incitement,
credit of 1.3 billion French francs has been made available over 5
years. Press statement.
9 April 1997: presentation of the catalogue of tariffs for
interconnection services that
France Telecom proposes, from 1 January
1998, to operators of telecommunications networks open to the
public. It was approved by the Authority for the Regulation of
Telecommunications (ART) (fax : ++ 33 1 43 19 65 34) which examined
its conformance with regard to the law on the regulation of
telecommunications and the decree on interconnection.
To obtain
the catalogue, fax France Telecom on ++ 33 1 44 44 80 34.
The decision to open competition completely in the
telecommunications sector on 1 January 1998 was taken unanimously by
the member states of the European Union.
6 March 1997 : in an
interview with Le Monde newspaper, François Fillon,
commented on the decree on interconnection and discussed the future
"catalogue of interconnection services and associated tariffs".
4
March 1997 : the decree relative to interconnection appeared in
the Official Journal dated March 1997.
20 February 1997 : "We do not want a duopoly in French
telecommunications", François Fillon declared during
an interview given to Les
Echos magazine.
14
January 1997 : the new version of the draft decree on network
interconnection, amended after public consultation, is made public.
8 January 1997 : during a cabinet meeting today, the
President of France, Jacques Chirac, described as "exemplary"
the reform underway in the telecommunications sector. He declared
that it respected the "requirements of public service"
while ensuring its "adaptation" to international
competition.
1st January 1997 : establishment of the new structures which
result from the law on telecommunications regulations (Authority for
the regulation of telecommunications, National frequency agency,
Directorate of postal services and telecommunications).
31 December 1996 : to this day 12 decrees out of 23 have
been published in application of the law on telecommunications
regulations.
30
November 1996 : official end of the public consultation on
interconnection of telecommunications networks
26
November 1996 : at the opening of the international mobile and
telecommunications trade show, François Fillon made public
the names of the people who would head the two relevant agencies,
the Authority for regulation of telecommunications (ART) and the
Agency for national frequencies (ANF). Jean-Michel Hubert will head
the ART, while for the ANF Jean-Claude Guiget will be president and
Jean-Marc Chaduc takes the post of director general.
21
November 1996 : "True open competition, a modern vision of
the public service, independent and fair regulations". These
are some of the key themes of the speech made by François
Fillon in London at the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce, thus
describing the main telecommunications reforms in France.
14
November 1996: the minister began public consultation on
interconnection within the framework of the elaboration of
telecommunications regulations. The conditions for interconnection
represent one of the most important elements of liberalisation of
the telecommunications sector. Draft decree in French.
24
September 1996: the minister began the public consultation on
the local radio loop. This local telecommunications network, based
on radio technology, is an alternative to traditional wire-based
networks. Consultation document and procedure.
27
July 1996 : publication in the "Journal Officiel" of
the law setting out
the regulatory framework for telecommunications in France.
24
July 1996 : the Constitutional Council, which was consulted
about the law on telecommunications regulations, rejected part of
the article concerning the ethical code for the Internet. The lack
of precision on regulation of online services in part of the law was
sanctioned. François
Fillon issued a statement, about this exclusively for this Web
site.
1st
July 1996 : liberalisation of alternative infrastructures for
all services already open to competition, for data transmission and
corporate services .
18 June 1996 : draft bill "setting
out the regulatory framework for telecommunications in France"
definitly adopted by the French Parliament. The law will be on line
when it enters to force.
3 April 1996 : draft bill "setting
out the regulatory framework for telecommunications in France"
to adapt regulations in telecommunications approved by the weekly
Cabinet meeting.
26 March 1996 : start of an information campaign on changes in
the telecommunica tions sector.
So as to make people aware of the stakes involved in the evolution
of the telecommunications sector and to demonstrate the consequences
of this evolution on their daily lives, the Ministry for Post,
Telecommunications launched an in formation campaign.
This campaign began on 26 March, to continue until 5 April on all
major French radio stations : RTL, RTL2, Sud Radio, Fun Radio,
France-Inter, France-Info, Europe 1, Europe 2, BFM, NRJ, Radio
Classique, Radio Nostalgie and RMC.
21 March 1996 : Council of EU telecoms ministers. The 15
ministers responsible for telecommunications met in Brussels, during
the presidency of the Italian minister for posts and
telecommunications, Agostino Gambino.
An important element of this meeting was the examination of a
proposal for a directive on the interconnection of
telecommunications networks with a view to the total liberali sation
of the telecommunications sector on 1 January 1998. The 15 ministers
came to an agreement on the conditions for the interconnection of
networks. "This marks an impor tant step towards open
competition", François Fillon, the French minister
declared after the meeting.
In fact this directive must in particular allow access to existing
clients to new comers onto the market who do not have large
infrastructures. The proposed common position also describes the
mechanisms that the 15 member states can apply to share charges lin
ked to the universal service.
All of these subjects - definition, financing of the universal
service, organisation of competition - are all at the heart of thefuture
French law on
telecommunications regula tions. Moreover, François Fillon
declared to the Figaro newspaper, 19 March : "The bill on
regulations is the one which, in Europe, goes furthest in defining
the public service. It defines it in the most extensive manner by
clearly giving responsibility for the public service to France Tele
com.....(...) It guarantees the principles of geographic equality.
It even introduces a clause to revise the public service every 5
years so as to be able to add new services which will appear with
technological progress."
18 March 1996 : Press
statement by the Prime Minister.
5 March 1996 : the bill designed to
adapt French telecommunications regulations for 1998 was submitted
to the State Council and the Higher commission for public services
for posts and telecommunications. The bill to be presented to the
Cabinet on 3 April 1996 and to be examined by the French Parliament
before the end of the spring.
9 January 1996 : a round table brings to an end two months of
public consultations on
new rules for telecommunications in France. This round table was
presided over by François Fillon.
The list of the 94 public contributions
15 October 1995/15 December 1995 :public
consultation on new rules for telecommunications in
France. This consultation was inspired by a guiding document in
which the government outlined its options to prepare for total
liberalisation in the European Union.
30 October 1995 : the group of experts on telecommunications
regulations is set up. This group is requested to examine the
advantages and disadvantages of the various options in the following
areas :
- definition, evaluation and calculation of interconnection
charges;
financing of the universal service;
regulations for the local network.
This group is headed by Paul Champsaur, Inspector General of the
National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).
8 September 1997 : sale of around 20% of France Telecom
announced by D. Strauss-Kahn, Minister for the Economy, Finance and
Industry, and C. Pierret, Secretary of State for Industry.
Press file online.
17 July 1997 : the government has asked Michel Delebarre,
former Minister of State, and deputy for the Nord area, to
lead a consultation mission
within France Telecom. The results of this consultation will be
submitted to the government before 5 September 1997.
26 June 1997 : " Dominique Strauss-Kahn and I have
set ourselves three objectives: reinforce France Telecom as a
prominent European operator, guarantee its independence, and allow
for it to reach critical size at a global level. All of which
implies, in my opinion, opening towards the market place to at least
a minimum degree." Christian Pierret, Secretary of State
for Industry declared to Libération newspaper.
June 1997 : France Telecom share
issue suspended for the moment
14 May 1997 : the main strands of development of research
in France Telecom , within the framework
of the reorganisation of all research in the telecommunications
sector, were detailed by F. Fillon and F. d'Aubert.
Press statement.
22
April 1997 : François Fillon announced the postponement
by one month of the various operations to sell France
Telecom shares. The new provisional schedule follows:
19 March 1997 : the Chairman of France Telecom, Michel Bon,
and Pierre Dauvillaire, one of the executive directors, presented
the operator's results for 1996 to the press (revenue of 151.3
billion French francs in 1996) and the schedule for the sell off of
part of its shares: 6 May, start of the operation, (3 weeks
reservation), 27 May/2 June inclusive: fixed price offer; 9 June:
first quote on the Paris and New York stock exchanges.
8
October 1996 : in an
interview in "La Tribune" magazine, François
Fillon said about France Telecom : "The basic idea is to launch
the biggest share offer to the general public ever carried out in
France. France Telecom has 32 million clients, and this represents a
fantastic starting basis. Our objective is to be at least as
ambitious as Deutsche Telekom which aims to have 2 million private
shareholders.The first phase, scheduled for the second half of
April, should involve around 20% of the shares."
27
July 1996 : publication in the "Journal officiel" of
the law on France Telecom.
24
July 1996 : the Constitutional Council, which was consulted with
regard to the law on the new status of France Telecom, rejected all
grievances raised. The law can be
applied therefore as it stands.
29 June 1996 : draft bill on France Telecom has been
definitly adopted by the French Parliament.
Unofficial
text, in French
29 May 1996 :draft
bill to transform France Telecom into a limited company with the
State as majority share holder approved by the weekly cabinet
18 March 1996 : a Prime
minister's press release
1st
January 1997 : from today allocation of numbers is the
responsibility of the Authority for the regulation of
telecommunications. This independent authority will allocate numbers
to an authorised operator in return for a fee that covers
administrative and verification costs (decree n°96-12. Official
Journal of 31/12/1996).
18 October 1996 : a new numbering system came into effect.
How to call France.
28
March 1996 : a
press release
.
News
.
News from previous months
.
Theme files